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For a standard bike in normal use you should not, from the seat, be able to touch the ground (without leaning, or except, perhaps, on extreme tip-toe).
A standard diamond frame (with horizontal top bar), for road use, should be sized so that you can stand flat-footed over the top bar with a "comfortable" margin (but no more) between the bar and the stuff ...

For a quick fit, the general goal is to keep the seat high enough that you can get a nearly-full leg extension, without 'locking' the knee.
Over a long period of time, if you find that you are having knee, foot or hip pains, try making small adjustments with the saddle, about 0.5-1.0cm at a time, either up, down, forwards or backwards. If the pain gets ...

First, do you have cycling shorts w/ a chamois? If not, I would highly recommend them. As a note, they are your underwear (ex: do not wear undergarments and then put on the shorts).
Second, how did you choose your saddle? Was it fitted through some type of measurement system ala bontragers inform system or specializeds BG system? How much did you spend on ...

If this is your first bike, go to your local bike store and have them fit you professionally. Then, ask if they have loaner bikes so that you can get a feel for the size of the bike before you invest. Some people prefer bikes on the smaller side and some prefer them a bit larger. You'll get a definite feel for this over time, but I wouldn't recommend ...

I can think of a few possible explanations:
If you're sitting too upright, vibrations from the road/trail (anything from pavement quality to serious potholes) will travel straight up your spine, causing your the gaps between your vertebrae to expand and contract. This can add up on a long ride. Ideally you want to be leaning forward enough that your back ...

There are a number of ways to determine the seat height for a road bicycle. But you should also pay attention to how you feel while riding your bike at different heights. In addition, it is important to consider your entire position, not only the seat height. Finally, if you are riding a lot, change your seat height in small increments over time to avoid ...

There is no single official accepted guidance. Typically the more you ride, the lower you will tolerate your bars, drops or straights. Pro cyclists have them as low as 10-15 cm below saddle, while amateurs tend to have them level or slightly higher than the saddle.
Don't worry that you cannot spend all your time in drops. Even pro cyclists prefer the more ...

This goes against accepted wisdom, but I think test rides are overrated. Not useless, but overrated.
You're going to own the bike for a long time presumably. You're going to be able to play with the tire pressure, the handlebar position, the seat height and fore/aft, the seat itself, the pedals, the cranks. As you develop cycling muscles, your position on ...

Copied this from a saddle mfg website: How to measure your own sit bones
Of course the measure you really want is between the centres of your ischial tuberosities – the pointy lower parts of your pelvic bone on either side. Many bike dealers have a pad that you can sit on to measure this distance, but you can do it at home too.
Take a piece of aluminium ...

Rivendell bikes argues that most road bikes sold are too small. They're probably in the minority opinion as far as bike shops go, but they have (collectively) a lot of experience in frame geometry and riding styles.
Their argument is based on their belief that most shops assume that road riders should emulate racers -- experts who are willing to put up ...

While in the saddle, your feet should not touch the ground and your leg should be almost completely extended at the bottom of the pedal stroke. You ought to be able to straddle the top tube fairly easily with your feet flat on the ground.
Sheldon Brown's article on starting on a bicycle may help with getting accustomed to having the seat higher than you ...

This might not be a very good place to start from when sizing a bicycle. Your inseam measurement is from the top of the crotch (top inseam point) to the BOTTOM SIDE OF THE ANKLE (lowest inseam point). Your feet go all the way to the floor.
Inseam is specifically to determine what pants you wear. I might point out that pants and bicycles are made and ...

I see frame geometry having 3 primary affects
Fitting the rider; which you're already addressing and I won't talk about here... But a lot of geometry stuff comes down to making the other stuff work with fitting riders on the bikes. It's very important.
Fitting stuff on the bike
Handling characteristics.
Since you asked, I'm talking about your basic ...

Talk to a doctor
The symptoms of waking up with tingly fingers make this sound consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome to my non-doctor opinion.
Basically, as I understand it, a little bit of that now and then isn't a problem, but too much over time causes damage which can be permanent and cause some major hand problems.
There's a bundle of nerves and ...

The best answer to your question is simply "no." Unless you've ridden the exact geometry before, there's no great way to know if your body will enjoy the fit. Sure, there are MANY adjustments you can do to any bike to get it close, but nothing replaces taking the bike out for 20 miles to find out how your body will respond.
Now, with that said, if you ...

IMO single most important factor of cycling joy is FIT!
This is a great tool and worth the effort:
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO
I have used it myself and referred countless folks to it, all with great success! Good luck!

With a smaller frame, you will need an appropriately longer handlebar stem in order to retain the cockpit length. This will affect handling of the bike: it will feel more "lively", which can be good in some cases (tight turns, difficult terrain) or bad (less stable) - in most cases.
A smaller frame will be marginally less reliable, and more prone to break, ...

Yes. I do this on most of my bikes so I can do a quick fit for a friend when needed and to broaden the appeal for resale. Just make sure to snug up the compression like normal prior to tightening the stem and you will be good.

The best advice I heard on the topic is to sit comfortably on the bike while placing your heel on the pedal. Move the seat up until your leg is fully extended, and then tighten the seat. This way, the leg will be only slightly bent at full extension when the ball of the foot is on the pedal.
You definitely don't want the leg to be fully extended while ...

Depending on how much you ride, you may want to consider having your bike professionally fit at a bike store.
My wife received a free fit when we bought her Dolce at Peleton Cycles, but they told me they will fit anyone to their bike for about $70. It's pricey, but if you are riding your bike constantly, it may be worth the money.
It took them about an ...

This is probably going to depend on a bit more than just your height or leg length (though I'm sure a rough idea can be gleaned). Your specific bike (geometry) and riding position will also affect crank length a bit.
Here are a few good links on the subject that go beyond my knowledge on the issue.
http://www.cptips.com/crnklth.htm
...

The thing that causes saddle sores is friction. Moisture contributes as well.
Cycling shorts are probably a good idea, but if you don't want to wear cycling shorts (I don't for commuting, but my longest commute is half the distance of yours), there's three key things:
A properly fitting saddle.
In particular, there's a lot of problems with people wanting ...

Essentially, bicycle frame sizing is inconsistent and possibly insane. Try the bikes out. Don't rely on a single number for the size.
Theoretically the size given is the length of the seat tube, but there's a lot of inconsistency in how that's measured.
Usually a frame size given in inches is a mountain bike frame and a frame size given in centimeters is a ...

Your bike fit should not cause you pain. Back pain, neck pain, knee pain, hand pain, elbow pain, etc are all signs of a problem; they shouldn't simply be ignored, and probably won't just go away on their own. Muscular soreness after pushing extra hard is really the only kind of pain you should get.
I suggest that you:
Get the bike fit to you. Many bike ...

You will want to be sitting in a postion that has your weight mostly on your sit bones.
You also want to make sure that with your saddle in the correct position, your knee is over the axle of the pedal when the crank is in the front-most part of it's circle. Too far off and it can put a strain on your knee. If the saddle can't be adjusted to allow this to ...

If you hadn't mentioned "tiny frame" and back pain, I'd agree with mgb about minor changes to your existing bike instead of getting a new one. It sounds like you need a bike that fits you and you have a bike that's too small. There might be a few things that could be adjusted to make a too-small bike work better, but it's likely you're better off getting a ...

There are several good systems. I'm a certified BG fitter, as well as certified with the retul system. You're familiar with the BG system, as you've already been through it.
Retul is a system which uses power measurement and body position sensors on a 3 dimensional wire frame (virtual) reproduction of your bike and body. It allows an experienced fit ...